Spreader stoker apparatus



March 6, I S. H CHAPMAN l SPREADER STOKE APPARATUS y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1945 INVENTOR Szfaafz Chapman March 6, 1945. s, H. CHAPMAN 2,370,936

SPREADER STOKER APPARATUS Filed June 16,1943 2 sheets-sheet 2 III WITNESSES: INVENTOR W l Staart H @hago/nain WZV BY A ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 6, 1945 inghouse` Electric & Manufacturing Company, EastPitt'sburgh, Pa., a corporation of Penn- Sylvania Application .tune 16,1943, serial No. 491,019

This invention relates to" stokers, more par,- ticularly to those of the spreader or sprinkler type, and has for an object the provision of novel fuel-spreading mechanism of vthis type.y

Another object of the invention' is to provide a rotary fuel impeller so constructed as to' be subject to minimum centrifugal forces. y

A further object of the invention isto provide a'rotary' impeller for delivering fuel to a furnace, which impeller is of a construction providing for minimum distortion thereof` resulting from fex; posure to the heat of the combustion chamber of the furnace. f.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a rotary fuel ilnpeller` constructedmainly of structural members. having -high natural rigidity.

These and other vention as wi11 be apparent from-the `following description and claims taken in accordance with the accompanying drawings, forming :a part of this application, in which: f

Fig. l is a transverse sectional view through a spreader stoker mechanism embodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, with portions thereof broken away for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figs. l and 2 and taken along the line III- III of'Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference character I indicates, in its entirety, spreader mechanism vfor delivering fuel through the opening Il in the front wall I2 of the furnace I3, to the grate structure I4 within the latter.

The spreader mechanism comprises a hopper I6 from which fuel discharges by gravity to the bottom plate I1 of the ram box I8. As shown more clearly in Fig. 2, the rambox is provided with a plurality of vertical partitions I9 extending from front to rear thereof and serving to space the series of rams 2n, z|, 22 and 2r..k

Reciprocatory motion is imparted to the rams through a linkage arrangement comprising link 26 or 2l connected at one end to a ram and at; the. other end to one` end of a bar 28, xedly secured on the vertical shaft 30, which shaft is journaled for limited rotary motion inthe lower and upper support plates 3| and 32, respectively, carried by objectsare effected by the in l (Cl. 11o-115) the ram box structure I8.L Extending rearwardly from each verticalshaft 30 is a lever arm 34, disposed at right angles to, the; arm 28 and having its free end pivotallyk connected ,to-.the transversely-extending `shaftor bar,35 by pinsv 36.

Transverse reciprocatory .motion is impartedlto the bar 35 by suitable means, such as the engine 31, operating .through the 'rod.38,. having' aslot l and pin connection with the bar 35.

In order to prevent, clogging of the ram struc-y turey by fuel siftings workingforwardly into the ram box, thev latter is provided Awith aninterior groove or recess 40 having inletand. outlet connections 4Ia and 4Ib, respectively, whereby air or liquid may be continuously passed through the groove 40 to remove siftings finding their way thereto .through the joints b etweenthe rams and the ram box structure.,

Fuel, pushed rearwardly of the ram box structure by-reciprocation of the rams,l moves over the supporting plate 42, upon which a plurality` ofspill..plaij.es.A 43,v 44, 45 and .46 are adapted toreciprocate. A

As best illustrated in lig.,2.;thelnumber of spill plates' preferably coincides with the number of rams, and the corresponding spill plates and rams are arranged to reciprocate in phase, thatv is, when ram moves rearwardly its corresponding spill plate 43 likewise moves rearwardly. Also, it will be noted that alternatespill plates and rams (20,

43 and 22, 45) reciprocate in one direction when Y the remaining spill plates and rams (2|, 44v and 23, 46) reciprocate in the opposite direction, this were advanced and retracted in unison. How` ever, it will be apparent that, corresponding spill plates and rams may be reciprocated out of phase.

and `that all spill plates and/or all rams may reciprocate in unison or in any desiredmanner.

The means herein illustrated for reciprocating each spill plate comprises a rod 48 connected at its rearward end to the forward portion of the spill plate and having at its forward end a de.- pending lug 49, whichis bifurcated to receive the rearward end 50 of a connecting link 5I, the end 50 being secured within the bifurcation of the depending lug 48 by the pin 52, for pivotal movement. The forward, end of the link 5I is secured by pin 53 between the arms of the bifurcated lever 54, which'is xedly secured to the lower portion of the vertical shaft 30. Preferably, each'member 54 is ofdouble arm construction, and has attached to the other arm linkage similar to that `:lust described, vfor operating the ad- `from the bottom plate jacent spill plate. Preferably, there is included in each link suitable stroke-adjusting mechanism, indicated at 55. Inasmuch as thestroke-V adjusting mechanism comprises no part of the Vpresent invention, it isy indicated only schematical1y in the accompanying drawings.

In order .that the, spill plates:v may `reciprocate freely .beneath the f fuel-4` being fed rearwardly thereover, they are tapered at their' forward edges, as at 58, with the result that they may. easily slide beneath the fuel deposited upon thethereof, with the result that the fuel is pro- 'V15 vertical :centerline of the'f'ro'tor to forwardly" jected through angles varyin'gxfrom 'the-hori-l zontal, thereby providing improved distribution of fuel lengthwise of the grate structure i4.

The impeller 59a is partially enclosed by'a hous';A

in-g 60 disposed in close proximityto the path of thetips of the--fimpeller blades. The impeller 59 comprises aI pair of structural T-beams lj, disposed in parallel spaced-apart relation with the head portions 62v of the Ts, adjacent each other, and with the Web portions 6.3 lying in a common plane. A pair-of end plates B4' are secured to andserve to space and support the T-beams 6|, thereby'providing. av rotor: structure in the form of a hollow rectangular frame'. Where the length ofthe rotor renders it; desirable, the T-beams may be braced', intermediate their ends, by` cross members 65. Y The frame is supported by a pair of stub shafts S1, secured to and carried by the end plates 64' midway between the terminal portionsV thereof, the stub shafts'l being supported, `through the Vroller bearings 68,

in bearings 69 carried by the end walls 1D. of the It will be apparentthat this arrangement provides a fuel impeller which is relatively simple in construction, involves relatively small mass of metal to v,be-subjected to heat from the combustion chamber to which it is exposed,r and which is inherently rigid due to the T shape of the beams 6l.

. "While the invention hasbeen shown in but one form,r it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from/.the spirit thereof, and it is desired, therefore,V that only suchv limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the .appended claims.

` What'is :claimedis:

`1. In a stoker, a rotary fuel impellercomprising a pair of stub shafts axially aligned in spaced-apart relation, a pair of end members connected at their centers to the adjacent ends of the stub shafts and lyingin planes at right anglesv to the axisl ofrotaton of the shafts, a pair'of side members of T-section carried by the terminal` portions of theend; members in parsecuring and supporting meansfor 'blade members 'Il connected to 'the stems 63 f byi suitable 'means such as the bolts allel relation tothefaxs of rotation of theshafts withthe stems rofthe T-sections extending generally radially outwardV from theheads of the T- sections relative to said axis of rotationof the shafts, and fuel-impelling blades carried bysaid radially extendingv stems.. f 2. In' a Stoker', a rotary fuel impeller comprising a pair of T-beams disposed inrv parallel spacedapart relation with the stems ofthe 'Fs in a common plane and the tops thereotfacing each other, afpa'ir` of endnielilbers connecting corre'- sponding terminal portionsV of the JT-beams, means supporting the end members for rotation of said end members and T-,beams asia unity about an axis parallel to. and midway'of the T-beams, and a fuel-impelling blade carried bythe/stem of 'each T-beam. v STUART H.y CHAPMAN. 

